Fourplay
by soybean
Summary: AU. After a not-so-successful marriage ending in divorce, Anna Kyouyama finds herself single and very much wanted by the opposite gender. But is there only room in her heart for her ex-husband?
1. Six

**Author's Note**: As much as I love Yoh, he's a bit OOC in the beginning, in order to make the plot work. Several other characters are too, here and there, but I assure you I tried my best to make everyone IC. –rambles on-

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters, etc. Hiroyuki Takei does. The storyline is based on a novel, _Fourplay_ by Jane Moore, which I recommend if you're bored and are looking for a fun, relaxing free-read. Cliché, yet not!

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**CHAPTER I**

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What was it that first stirred up suspicion? Their recent lack of intimacy? His late arrivals from work at an ungodly hour? – She considered 11:00 PM on weekdays quite a blasphemous time to be coming home – Or maybe, it was just an innate, feminine intuition. Regardless, this tiny spark of doubt was all she needed to conduct investigations.

Anna Asakura – maiden name Kyouyama - would get to the bottom of this.

It started off as a typical day. After being kicked out of bed by a no-nonsense wife, Yoh Asakura would go about his morning routine as per usual. Breakfast was on the table when he sauntered downstairs in his business suit, looking ready to run a company. Which was exactly what he did. The AA (Asakura Association) didn't run itself, you know.

Settling down next to his son, Yoh took a bite out of his toast, rinsing it down with – what else – coffee.

"What're ya drawing there, kid?"

Little Hana looked up at his father, and held up his paper with a bright smile on his face. Anna had entered the room. She couldn't help but allow a small smile grace her features as her eyes fell upon the drawing.

Though not a Picasso, one could easily tell it was the three of them in the picture: a brown-haired man with headphones, a golden-haired woman with a red bandana, and in between them a small child.

Yoh grinned at Hana, finishing up his breakfast, before walking over to his son and russling his hair affectionately.

"Take care," he said to the boy, bidding his wife goodbye as well. "Oh, Anna, the photos from our vacation are developed."

She nodded, in acknowledgement of the crisp comment directed towards herself.

In their son's drawing, all three of them were smiling. All of them were holding hands. And it was so easy to forget the nasty feeling clawing inside of her; easy to forget he'd even stopped kissing her goodbye.

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Anna flopped gracefully onto her bed. 9:00 AM, a time she devoted solely to herself before she went about her daily chores: cleaning, cooking, shopping, typical soccer-mom things. She'd just dropped off Hana at the daycare and was preparing to indulge in her usual soap operas, when she remembered the photographs Yoh had mentioned as he was leaving for work. True to his word, there was an envelope with "Kodak" stamped in the corner lying on the dining room table.

The three of them, along with Anna's closest friend, Jeanne, had gone skiing a little over two weeks ago. It was an okay trip, though it was so cold she wound up wearing four bandanas: two to keep her head warm, two for her neck, all red. She looked like quite the mugger, but no one noticed. Or if they did, no one dared comment for fear of sleeping outside with only the snow and friendly, neighborhood raccoons as company.

Five minutes later, Anna found herself half-focused on the photographs in her hand and half-distracted by the TV. Regardless, as she fingered through the photos, the pile felt a bit thin.

'...27...28...29.'

Just as she'd suspected. She knew for a fact that the film capacity was thirty-five photographs, which meant six were missing. And the filmstrip was nowhere to be found.

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"Hello, my name's Anna Asakura. My husband, Yoh Asakura, had our photographs developed here, and I think a few are missing. Would you happen to have..."

"...have a copy of the filmstrip?" the woman at the counter finished for her.

Anna nodded.

"As long as it was within the decade, I'm sure we've kept them in our records. Would you like them redeveloped?"

"Yes, as quickly as possible."

"It'll probably take two hours or so. They'll be here when you get back, so in the meantime you're free to run an errand or something."

The blonde forked over the fee, three hundred yen.

She decided to get some shopping done while the photos were being developed and, in usual Anna-like fashion, mumbling about missing her precious television drama at the same time.

Thoughts of her and Yoh flooded her mind, overflowing with memories of everything that had led up to this point: from the agreement between their parents to their wedding day, to just that morning.

It was an arrangement, one that would benefit both families.

Anna would get the easy life she'd always wanted. The heir to the Asakura's prosperous company would without-a-doubt be able to provide her everything she'd ever want. And more.

As for Yoh, he would have a strong-willed woman to stand by him and help him run his family's company. Though not a very motivated worker herself, Anna would never permit him to slack off.

It was a rocky start for the two, but Anna knew she loved him. She loved his carefree smile and his happy-go-lucky attitude, but it had always bothered her that she never knew how he felt.

She'd come to the conclusion that Yoh cared for everyone, and this thought contented her. It was enough at the time, and on the day of their wedding, she was nearly positive she saw the love in his eyes.

Love for her and her alone, sealed with a vow to be with her until death.

In two hours, would that vow be broken?

Deep down, she contemplated whether or not she wanted to return to the camera shop.

In two hours, they would be there. All thirty-five photos would be awaiting her in the arms of that witty, grinning saleswoman who could finish her lines for her, including the six which were missing before.

Six. The devil's number.

**to be continued**

**A/N**: So concludes the first chapter. This is my first multi-chapter story and a measly attempt at drama. Any and all feedback are loved. Thanks!


	2. Photographs

**Author's Note**: Thank you to Rays number girl, bOw-doWn-tO-KeiKO, and Keeper of Yoh for reviewing. If not for you guys, I probably wouldn't have the inspiration to continue writing. Here's chapter two, everyone. Much more plot in this chapter.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters, etc. Hiroyuki Takei does. The storyline is based on a novel, _Fourplay_ by Jane Moore.

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**CHAPTER II**

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With the willpower only the former Anna Kyouyama (now Asakura, thank you very much) could muster, she managed to return to the camera shop. On the way there she'd played every scenario she could think of.

Best-case scenario: the smart-ass, smiling lady would be on her break, the photos would be waiting for her on the desk, and she would just grab them and be on her way. Yes, if Anna saw that perky, plastic surgery-enhanced face one more time, she'd punch her lights out. At home, she'd look through the photos, only to find the remaining six, pictures of their family, were indeed there and it was just an unfortunate mix-up.

Worst-case scenario: the very events that were about to take place.

First off, that happy woman was still there.

"Oh it's you! You're back!" she called.

'Yes, it's me and I'm happy to say I have no clones. And of course I'm back. I didn't pay you three hundred yen to never come back and see your face again. Though that would be nice,' Anna thought bitterly.

"Here they are!" Ms. Happy, as Anna had named her (ignoring the handy dandy nametag that read Yuri), slid an envelope over the counter before turning her attention to the next customer.

Without hesitation, Anna grabbed the photographs and was out of there before you could say itako, promising herself she'd buy a digital camera and develop her own photos once this was all over.

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It was a wonder what difference six photographs could make. The envelope was indeed thicker, fuller. Back at the house, Anna made a bee-line for the dining room. She pulled all of the photos out slowly, not knowing what to expect. She didn't realize she was shaking until she dropped the envelope onto the wooden table.

The first picture was of the three of them, Yoh, Hana, and herself. They were making a snowman. Unfortunately, their location was off, seeing as it was directly in the middle of snowboard traffic. Surely enough, the next morning, the snowman was plowed into the ground. All that remained was the carrot used for the nose.

Anna smiled fondly at the memory. They'd made carrot soup that night and left it outside for the wildlife.

Yes, they were animal lovers.

So far so good. Photo number two, ski lift, where she first realized she was afraid of heights.

She decided she'd delayed long enough, quickly counting through the first twenty-nine... only to drop them as she reached thirty.

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Photographs. A plural word she would forever associate as the cause of her first heartbreak. And it was only that morning that she was so in love. But it did now, and the ache inside of her intensified. Because her suspicions from the beginning were confirmed by those damned photographs!

The remaining six photos were of another woman. A lovely, young face, perhaps three or four years younger than Anna herself, was staring back at her in each. And two even had her husband in them; smiling, hugging, _kissing_. The nerve!

Resisting all violent impulses, Anna tried to clear her head. Didn't she recognize that face somewhere?

Suddenly, it felt like the world had dropped a piano onto her head. Her husband had committed the cliché. He'd had an affair with his secretary.

Everything made sense: the late nights out, the lack of intimacy, the general decaying of their relationship.

Anna wasn't sure if she was outraged, despaired, or both.

Both. Definitely both. Her _darling _Yoh would be receiving quite a surprise when he came home that day.

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For a woman whose marriage was in jeopardy, the day went about pretty normally. Her son came home from school, did his homework, then settled down for TV and dinner.

She wasn't surprised when Yoh wasn't home for their nightly supper. He was gentlemanly enough to call and tell them he was eating out. He was rude enough to lie.

It was 10:53 PM. The kids were fast asleep, and her husband would be home any minute; at least she hoped so. This confrontation was necessary for her sanity. She wanted answers, damnit!

Well actually, she wanted to beat some sense into her husband with her wedding dress. But that could wait until she knew all the facts.

She was fully prepared for his arrival. In fact, she anticipated it with every fiber of her being. Anna had arranged all six photos on the dining room table in order of intimacy, the very intimacy that seemed to be lacking in the relationship between Yoh and herself.

Their smiling faces made her want to hurl.

Luckily for her – or was it unluckily maybe? She really wanted to puke her guts out – the sound of a door unlocking drew her attention away from her nausea.

She heard footsteps from the hallway. Each second was excruciating. The time had come. 10:58 PM.

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"Anna? You're still up?"

Yoh was slightly surprised, but his face returned to its casual, serene expression.

Anna said nothing. Eventually, Yoh's gaze drifted to the photos beside her on the table.

"I see you've found out."

His calm was maddening. She expected him to be nervous, fidget. He'd just been caught cheating on his wife, after all! But she wasn't going to lose her cool that easily either.

"A picture is worth a thousand words, Yoh. You have _six_."

"So would you like to slap me six times? One for each photo? Or would you like me to make you $6000? A dollar for each word?"

Anna ignored the remark. "How long?"

Yoh sighed, but did not lose his composure. He seemed uncharacteristically serious.

"A month."

"How can you sneak behind my back for that long? Were you ever going to tell me? I deserve to know, Yoh!"

Anna couldn't control the anger slipping into her voice.

"I was planning to confess as soon as I found a way to tell you without hurting you."

Typical Yoh, still worrying about her. Her temper died down a little, and he saw his chance. Within only two long strides, he held her sobbing form, within his warm embrace. For a moment, everything was okay.

And the next moment, she realized this may be the last time he held her.

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11:02 PM. Yoh was on the sofa in the living room, with Anna cradled gently in his arms. She'd stopped crying, but she refused to allow him to let go. Her eyes were still red and sore from the bittersweet tears.

"Why?" she croaked out finally, "I...I love you."

"And I loved you."

Loved? Past tense?

"...but I guess it wasn't real love. I must've convinced myself I cared about you because we were engaged. I should love my wife-to-be, and it worked. I felt warm inside every time I saw you, but after a while, the warmth died down. I guess the only thing that kept us together was our son. And then I met Machiko and you must know the rest, " Yoh trailed off, before picking off where he left off moments later, "I still care for you. You'll always have a place in my heart."

Anna nodded. She wanted to scream at him, that he not only occupied a place in her heart, he was the _only_ one in her heart.

What did this mean for their future?

"I'll move out in the morning. We'll work out everything else afterwards."

She didn't want him to go, but she knew it was for the best. Divorce was inevitable.

All of a sudden, a loud slap was heard. The sound resonating upon impact bounced off the walls and echoed throughout the room. In surprise, Yoh let go of Anna, shock written all over his face.

Anna smiled inside, glad she finally broke his maddening calm.

"For old time's sake," she explained.

Yoh smiled and bid her goodnight before going to sleep, leaving the blonde to her thoughts.

'_Machiko... her name means fortunate child. And what a fortunate child to have stolen the heart of my Yoh.'_

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She didn't want morning to come, but here it was. Sunlight leaked through the blinds, rousing her from her sleep. At least in her dreams, she was at peace. She didn't want to deal with the turmoil in her heart at the moment, but she knew she shouldn't – couldn't – run away.

That decided, Anna Asakura woke up alone in her bed for the first time. Yoh had slept in the guest room. The clock on her nightstand read 11:40 AM. She was surprised she woke up so late in the day, being quite the early bird.

'He must've moved out by now. Probably back to his family's estate,' she thought gloomily as she struggled out of bed and looked around the room.

It was true. His nightstand was cleared, and after checking in their large closet, found his side empty of all clothes. The drawers must've been in the same condition, as well as his personal belongings throughout the rest of the house.

She should hate him. But, he still cared for her. Enough to leave her the house with all the furniture, enough to think of an easy way to break it to her. But he didn't love her the way she wished he would.

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"Hello?" a voice inquired.

"Jeanne?"

"Anna? You sound terrible! Are you alright?"

"Please... come over."

A click signified the telephone being hung up. Jeanne had heard enough. Anna saying 'please'? Something terribly tragic must have taken place.

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For once in her life, Jeanne was glad she was jobless. After hanging up the phone, she rushed to the aid of her best friend.

The two sat down for lunch, and Anna told Jeanne everything. About life... about love. Jeanne listened, nodding sympathetically and giving words of advice here and there, wishing desperately there was some way to cheer up the soon-to-be single mother.

Anna sighed, "Men."

"Oh! Oh! This story ought to cheer you up."

"Hm?"

"Alright there's a man dating three women, and all three are pulling all the shots for his attention. One woman brings him to the fanciest restaurant in town. They spend a romantic night together, enjoying dinner and an absolutely beautiful view. The next woman brings them to a club, where they got drunk and danced all night and all that jazz. They had a blast. And the last woman took him for a walk in the park. It was a peaceful night of stargazing and stimulating conversation. So, which one did he pick?"

Anna shrugged.

"The girl with the biggest boobs, of course."

The blonde couldn't help but let out an appreciative laugh. Jeanne smiled, "See, I haven't lost it."

"Thank you, Jeanne. If it wasn't for you... I don't know what I'd do."

"Don't say that! There're plenty of fish in the ocean."

"But I need a man, not a fish."

"You know what I mean."

She couldn't help it. A hope was lit inside her. Jeanne was right! There were plenty of guys out there. She was still young, gorgeous, intelligent…etc. Anna Kyouyama had too much flair to be single for the rest of her life.

Perhaps, her husband would come to realize it, as well, with the help of a few other men…

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**to be continued**

**A/N**: Secretary is an original character, because I couldn't bring myself to put any of the Mankin girls in her place. Feel free to hate her, but don't worry she'll be disposed of in the future. Next chapter: Enter Bachelor Number One.


	3. Gossip

**Author's Note**: Thanks to the following people for reviewing! _bOw-doWn-tO-KeiKO, Hannah, Hyper-Shaman-Girl, Keeper of Yoh, kerei-kun, lilc, Nakashima-Michiyo, Rays number gurl, sakura-star69, X37_

A lot of people asked about the couple: Tell you the truth, I haven't decided on the coupling yet. But chances are, it'll probably be YohXAnna or HaoXAnna. I guess I'll take a vote or do alternative endings if I end up undecided.

Also, I won't be following the book (Fourplay) completely, so the ending and events might be different (or else the coupling might turn out really...uncommon). I'm glad some of you were curious enough to pick up the book! It's truly inspirational.

On a side note: Wow, what an unexpected reaction to Yoh. Guess I'll have to make him redeem himself later on.

Anna's kind of OOC in part of this chapter. And Jeanne's not as soft spoken (as you've seen throughout the past chapters).

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters, etc. Hiroyuki Takei does. The storyline is based on a novel, _Fourplay_ by Jane Moore.

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**Chapter III**

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A mirror tells no lies: at least the mirror in Snow White didn't. That nasty queen would ask a question, and it would spout out an answer without thinking. The truth, simply the truth and nothing more. But that was a fairytale, and this was life.

It had only been two hours since Jeanne left, and three hours since she woke up alone in bed that morning for the first time. In fact, it triggered a series of events that were foreign to her until now; make-up for one.

Anna took one last glance at her reflection, critiquing, smoothing out any wrinkles on her cotton white blouse and running her hands nervously down her low-rise jeans, feeling the warm fabric over her skin. The woman who stared back at her was a brand new being, reborn. The dark bags under her eyes had completely disappeared, thanks to ever-reliable cover-up. She was never a fan of make-up – always believing it hid a person's inner beauty. However, there was always a point in someone's life where they were willing to take a chance, and she had to admit, the nude cosmetics did wonders for her complexion: not too flashy, not too dull.

Finally satisfied, Anna put on her trademark red bandana and was off.

As she made her way outside, Anna locked the door behind her. They had two cars, one was Yoh's (currently missing: no surprises there) and the other her own, a silver Ferrari. Only the best for Anna, though she never drove it. Why pollute the air when you could walk?

Against her will, Anna felt the cold stab of jealousy pierce her heart, soon to be replaced by sorrow.

Being the good-mannered man he was, Yoh had always opened the car door for her whenever they would go out together. As she pushed the unwanted feelings away, Anna realized this was another first: the first time she actually opened the door for herself and climbed into the driver's seat.

She hoped her driving skills weren't rusty; it had been a while since she'd last gripped the wheel. Wouldn't it be unfortunate to die in a car crash, single, alone?

Her grip tightened. No, it wouldn't happen that way. Anna Kyouyama would make sure of that, as she drove towards her destination.

This was also the first time she went to the enemy for help.

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TR Incorporated was a company not-too-different from the Asakura Association. For that reason, the two elite companies were rivals, always trying to one-up each other. Whether it was the stock market, their associates, their employees, or even a bet on who would win the local "All-You-Can-Eat Buffalo Wings" competition, they were at each others' necks.

Anna knew this, and decided to use it to her advantage.

"What is an _Asakura_ doing in _my _office in the middle of the day?" asked the man, his voice dripping with disdain. He was obviously displeased at having the adversary – or at least their family - so closeby.

"12:00 PM would be mid-day. It's 2:00 PM now, which is officially the afternoon."

"Are you here to readjust my clocks? Spit it out, woman."

"I've come with a business proposition," Anna replied smoothly. She'd rehearsed.

"Tch, in that case you can let yourself out. Our goal is to crush your company, not mingle and get chummy."

The blonde was unfazed, and simply shifted into a more comfortable position in her seat. Golden eyes surveyed her every movement.

"You call me the enemy. Are you aware I am no longer the wife of an Asakura?"

A finely-trimmed eyebrow shot up. This was clearly fresh news. "Go on."

"Yoh cheated on me with his secretary."

"Oh please, I'm in no mood for girly talk and cooing and offering comfort... but while we're on the subject, since when? I never pegged Yoh as an affairs man."

"This morning. I want him back, and you're going to help me."

"Stop spouting nonsense, woman! Why should I help you? And _how_ could I possibly help anyway?"

"This benefits you, as well as me. I can give you details on every private matter involving the Asakura Association. I helped Yoh run the company for a while, after all. All you have to do is hire me as your secretary."

The man grinned, catching on to her plan.

"Lucky for you my current secretary is useless. You're hired Asakura. Just don't do anything funny."

"Kyouyama," Anna corrected, "It was nice doing business with you, Tao."

"Ren. You can call me Ren," the man stated.

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It was hardly more than a week later, but gossip had already spread like a wildfire.

Rumors went around about the two; Ren and Anna that was. They always ate lunch together, in a company-funded restaurant. They were always deep in conversation. No one knew what they were talking about, but the Tao grinned constantly, and Anna looked pleased.

Plotting. They were, in fact, plotting. Well, actually, Anna was plotting. Ren was asking for details concerning Asakura trades. She gave him information, but only enough to please him, not going overboard as to ruin her ex-husband's company.

Regardless, from the looks of things, and the talk going around, everything was according to plan.

Yoh must've heard about it. He _was_ the boss of the opposing company.

But he didn't mention anything of it.

On this Friday morning, here they were, together for the first time in quite a while, but not exactly on good terms. Ren had given her the day off, seeing as he would be away on a business trip for the next three days. After Anna took Hana to the daycare, she came home to find Yoh waiting for her on the porch. He still had the cheerful, laidback look about him. She hoped she looked presentable.

She was hoping he'd bring up the Ren subject, finally coming around and realizing _she_ was the one who belonged with him. Or at least comment on how she was being a conniving little skank, by having a secretary-boss relationship (like he was) to get on his nerves.

Instead, he said nothing of the subject.

What upset her even more was what Yoh had _really _come to see her about. From the pocket of his coat, he produced a few papers.

Divorce papers.

It took all Anna had to stop the tears from spilling forth again. She wouldn't cry, not again, and especially not for him.

"So this is really happening," she spoke wistfully.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't meant to be."

"And what about Hana? Haven't you thought about our son?"

"What _about_ Hana? Think about it, Anna. Take him out of the picture."

She gasped, the question repeating over and over again in her head. _'What_ about _Hana?'_

To her, their equation was simple. Yoh and Anna and Hana equals Family equals Love.

But to take Hana out?

Yoh and Anna equals ...Family equals ...Love?

It was like adding simple arithmetic. 2 plus 2 plus 1 equals 5. However, if you don't include the 1, it doesn't all add up. Yoh and Anna... doesn't equal love.

Quietly, Anna signed the papers. If not for Hana, would they have stayed together so long?

It was good to know Yoh still cared about their son. It hurt to know he only stayed with her because of their son. They had been living two separate realities.

Her in a world of perfection, a painting of a successful family built on a foundation of love, caring, and honesty.

Him in a world being held together only by one boy, a son, built on a foundation of duty.

Except her reality was only a dream, and his reality was fact, because he chose to make it fact.

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A defeated woman was preparing to wallow in self-pity for the rest of the Saturday afternoon in her room, when a ding-dong disrupted her musings. Grumbling about no-good doorbells and the many ways she could destroy one, she dragged herself over to the front door.

"Anna?"

Now this was a surprise. Not Jeanne, not Yoh, not even Ren was standing before her. It was...

"Lyserg?"

"Ah, good to know you still remember my face."

"I'm not brain damaged or blind, of course I remember. You look well."

A slight laugh erupted from his mouth, "Yes, but I can't say the same for you. I heard what happened from Jeanne. Can I come in?"

She nodded, and led him into the dining room.

"Would you like something to drink? Tea?"

"Yes, tea would be nice. How are things going?"

"It's alright. I'm over it. How've you and Jeanne been doing?"

"I think tonight's the night."

Even without looking at him, Anna knew the green-haired boy was blushing. She smiled to herself as she served up some warm green tea. Lyserg Diethyl and Jeanne had been going steady for the past two years. She would know; she'd been introduced to him the day Jeanne picked him up at the police office when she was retrieving her lost cat who'd fallen out of her window and run away. Lyserg had found it, returned it, and it was love at first sight. Anna wondered if Jeanne gave thanks each day for her cat as she prayed to the Good Lord. It was about time the two tied the knot!

"Jeanne Deithyl, it has a nice ring to it, does it not?" she asked, teasingly.

Lyserg was such a kind boy, and Jeanne such a sweet, righteous girl. They really deserved one another.

He smiled in response, and agreed whole-heartedly. After a little catching up and small talk, Anna felt her earlier despair fading away.

"Thanks Lyserg, I really appreciate it."

"I was happy to do this Anna. You should know Jeanne's really worried about you, and so am I. And plus, I haven't talked to you and Yoh in a long time, it's good to know what's going on."

"I'll keep you updated, or at least Jeanne will."

"Alright, hope everything works out. I've got to go buy the wedding ring! See you around."

"Good luck!"

"You too."

'I'll need it,' Anna thought to herself as she walked Lyserg out.

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The clock struck noon just as the phone rang, slicing through the silence like a knife through butter. It was enough noise to give her a permanent migraine. She had to stop one of them from emitting sound, and dove for the phone.

"Hel-?"

"Anna! What's this about you and Ren? You already found yourself another suitor?" a voice asked in a rush, before she could even finish her greeting phrase. Instantly knowing who was on the other line.

"Hello to you too, Jeanne. No no, he's just a guinea pig. I'm looking for a 'fish,' remember?" Anna replied calmly, throwing her analogy of "There are plenty of fish in the sea" right back at her.

"I thought you were looking for a man," her best friend joked good-naturedly.

"You know what I mean."

"Indeed. You really need to get out and have a good time for once. I know! Find Hana a babysitter, then come with Lyserg and me to dinner tonight. He's taking me to De L'Amour."

Recalling her earlier conversation with Lyserg, Anna remembered he was planning to pop the big question that night. Anna knew he would want some privacy.

"It's a really romantic restaurant. I'm sure you two will want to be alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I was planning to go out tonight anyway. A bar maybe."

"Alright, go snag a hot one!"

Anna smiled, though Jeanne could not see, before bidding her goodbye. In truth, she had no clue what to do that night, but her friend had a point. She was like a bird, cooped up in a cage. It was time to spread her wings and fly.

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Before she knew it, 8:40 PM had already rolled around, not that time really mattered much anyway.

She'd decided to go to the bar as she said, actually. And she did find Hana a babysitter for the night. A few drinks would be nice; to forget Yoh, to forget love, to forget life.

Anna cruised down the street in her Ferrari, letting her thoughts just drift away. Her mind was blank, and for the first time in a while, she felt calm and free.

At the same time, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier by the second.

She vaguely recalled the traffic light turning red. And suddenly, the honking of a car horn disturbed her mindless state, before her world became cloaked black.

Anna Kyouyama never made it to the bar.

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**to be continued**

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**A/N**: What happened to Anna? That and a new bachelor in the next chapter!

Also, I've decided not to do a Hao vs. Lyserg thing. It would get far too complicated.


	4. Some Twisted Heaven

**Author's Note**: The rating's been kicked down a notch, as this fic really isn't "R" material. Just yet, at least.

Yeah, Hao _is_ in this story. He's just coming later on because I haven't properly introduced him yet. I plan to, worry not!

Faust isn't a bachelor, by the way. He's happily married to Eliza. The German duo!

This chapter's a bit slow. Thus, there's more humor to help you cope... I hope. It's just here to move the plot along, and help show the strength of the friendship between Anna and Jeanne in this story. The Author's Note at the end of this chapter basically summarizes some key events in the next chapter. I guess it's a teaser in a way.

Thank you to **Exeux **for beta-reading this chapter, since I was pretty insecure at first about posting this one up.

And pairing is still undecided, though I'll take votes now, so it's your pick: YohXAnna or HaoXAnna (the other pairings will be RenXPirika, HoroXTamao, and obviously LysergXJeanne).

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters, etc. Hiroyuki Takei does. The storyline is based on a novel, _Fourplay_ by Jane Moore (though, it's starting to drift away from the book's actual plot right about now).

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**CHAPTER IV**

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It was funny really. All she remembered was black. Her world was dark. And now, as she opened her eyes, all Anna could see was white.

'Am I in heaven?' she thought to herself, 'Better be.'

She squinted, the brightness was excruciating. Every muscle in her body ached, feeling heavier than usual. Either she was gaining weight – dear God she hoped not – or... well heaven wasn't all bliss and halos as it was rumored to be, was it?

Wait. Since when were angels hooked up to IV tubes?

Forcing her eyes open, Anna took in her surroundings. A typical, very _white _hospital room.

Okay, so now she knew where she was. Terrific.

"How the _hell_ did I get here?" she grumbled to no one in particular.

"A young man brought you in," a deep voice from the doorway replied casually.

"Excuse me…?" Anna turned to face the man.

"Oh? I'm sorry I thought I heard you speak Japanese. Hm... blonde hair. Perhaps you're German! Können Sie mich verstehen?"

"I. Speak. Japanese. Fine," she said, becoming more and more agitated by the second. She didn't trust this man, but then again she never trusted doctors – he _was_ a doctor, right? This _was_ a hospital, wasn't it?

Anna took this time to analyze her doctor. He was tall and skinny. His hair was a fair gold, like her own, only a shade paler. His blue – no, purple? Whatever happened to her seemed to have impaired her vision – eyes stared back at her humorously.

"That's good to hear. You can still form coherent speech; though try speaking through your mouth and not your teeth. So how are you feeling?"

"Like Hell."

"You look it, too."

"You're one to talk. Have you been getting much sleep? It would help those bags under your eyes," Anna snapped.

"I'm a doctor, an obscene sleeping schedule is part of my job description," he replied with ease.

Okay, at least she knew he was a doctor now. Therefore, this was a hospital.

Good.

Fabulous.

"Now... Anna?" he asked, checking a clipboard he was holding.

"How do you know my name?" she asked suspiciously.

"Driver's license."

"Hmph. And shouldn't I know the name of my smart-aleck of a doctor?"

A cheerful smile made its way onto his face, "Faust. The Eighth, if you will."

"That's a weird name."

"I'm a weird guy."

Suddenly the reality of the situation hit her hard. She was lying down on a hospital bed, next to some German doctor (what was he doing in Japan?) with no recollection of how she got there.

"Me- I- How?" Anna struggled for words, having so many questions and not a clue as to which she should ask first.

"You want to know how you got here, how long you've been here, who brought you here, why you're here, how I know all this and how the hell someone like me became a doctor."

This Faust guy really knew how to smack the target, dead-on. She would've moved to slap him for being so smart, but her body refused. Her arm was resting comfortably on a metal-spring mattress with no intentions of causing physical harm to anyone nearby. Damnit.

All Anna could do was nod in wonder.

"You've been here, unconscious, for the past eleven hours with minor wounds from the impact. None of your bones are broken, but they were hit hard. Apparently, what happened was that your reflexes slowed as you reached a red light at a crossroad. Instead of stopping before the white line, you drove halfway out into the street, blocking the other road. Another driver, however, the very same man who brought you in, thought you were planning to run it and continued to drive at the speed he was going. When you suddenly stopped, it was too late. To make a long story short, his car hit yours. Both are totaled, and you are hospitalized."

Faust took a deep breath before continuing.

"You're here because you were injured. Everything was explained to us by the other driver. And finally, I come from a line of medical geniuses; it was expected of me to become a doctor. Happy?"

Once again, Anna just tilted her head up and down. He spoke enough for the both of them anyway.

"Alright, now that that's settled, your recovery should be quick and speedy. Let my assistant, Eliza, know if you need anything. Eliza dear!"

A tall blonde walked into the room and greeted her before heading towards her IV tube. The Eliza woman pulled out the needle from the arm and rolled the IV cables to the corner of the room. Guess she didn't need them anymore.

"When can I leave?" Anna asked out of the blue.

"As soon as you'd like. I'll have to give that man who brought you in a phone call to let him know of your awakening. He asked that of me, I hope you don't mind?"

She shook her head. Truthfully, she wanted to see the man who crashed into her Ferrari. Was he drunk? Stupid? Were her reflexes that slow?

Hmmm... wait. He mentioned a phone call. Phone! Contact with the outside world.

"Doctor!" she called out.

Too late, he'd already left. But wasn't there...

"Eliza-san?"

"Yes, do you need anything, Kyouyama-san?" the nurse asked, looking up from her work.

"Can you ask Faust-san to make a phone call to someone else while he's at it?"

"Of course."

Anna gave Eliza the name, phone number, and her message before allowing herself to drift off into a peaceful sleep. Physical accidents were barely a scratch for the already-troubled soul.

---------

"Kyoyama-san?"

"Ugh..."

She was so close. So close! Just another minute – no, _second_ – and she would be off in dreamland by now.

Unfortunately, that voice didn't sound familiar. It had a deep, masculine tone to it, but it definitely wasn't Faust. It sounded younger.

One eye popped open and turned to focus on the man beside her.

There, seated on a chair beside her bed, was a blue-haired man, seemingly around her age. Jumping to conclusions, Anna assumed it was the guy who hit her car.

"Car-killer," she accused.

The man snorted.

"If you have to call me something, the name's HoroHoro. And who was the baka who stopped in the middle of the road?"

"I had a lot on my mind, thank you very much."

That was a lie. In truth, she was thinking about nothing at the time.

"Yeah yeah, and I came here to apologize and find a way to work this out and I get a slap in the face."

"I'll give you a _real_ slap in the face," Anna mumbled, "As soon as my arm starts functioning again."

HoroHoro sighed.

"So Anna-san, are we going to be able to sort this out peacefully?"

"Depends. What's your definition of peaceful?"

"Hold back on the slaps for later."

"Deal."

"Okay, let me start off by saying sorry–"

"We've established that. I guess I am, too. I mean, it's not like I wanted to end up in the hospital. So anyway, next."

"–and I want to make it up to you somehow. I was proposing a trade, you pay for the damages to my car, I'll pay for the damages to yours."

"Why can't we just pay for our own?"

"Because... just cooperate will you?" He seemed a tad bit annoyed, "I'm guilty that I was saved by the ever-reliable airbag and you were injured. Besides, this'll take more out of my checkbook than yours. That Ferrari of yours is one piece of work."

"And what do you drive, a pick-up truck?"

"No, but my uncle does."

Anna saw this was going nowhere.

"Alright, fine," she agreed.

"Great!" he said with joy, handing her a piece of paper, "This is my number, call me when you get out of the hospital. It should be soon. And we'll exchange the cash then."

Anna didn't complain. She was saving money on car insurance, and she didn't even have to switch to Geico.

---------

"Anna!"

Damn the world. Damn them for not letting her sleep! Were they that cruel, to deny a single mother her only solace, her _dreams_? Once again, she was disrupted from her sleep, except this time it wasn't just vocally. She felt a finger poking her nose, followed by hands shaking her shoulders forcefully.

"What? What?" she yelled, nearly falling off the hospital bed.

Now that she was fully awake, she recognized that voice. Looking upwards, Anna found herself staring into red eyes, full of worry.

"Is this how you treat all patients in the hospital, Jeanne?"

Her best friend smiled, but her lips fell into a pout immediately.

"Just you," she responded, "You deserve it! How could you be so careless? I was so worried."

"I'm sorry. I should've, I guess... I don't know. Anything that I say will just be an excuse."

Her silver-haired pal nodded in understanding.

"What happened to Hana?" Anna asked, now concerned of the condition of her child. The phone call she asked Faust to make earlier was to the cell phone of the babysitter. The message was simple:

'_Is Hana alright?'_

"Well, that babysitter you hired got really worried, but apparently she didn't leave until I arrived there."

Anna nodded, encouraging the girl to continue her story.

"Lyserg and I were just walking in the park. I was in heaven! I swear, I felt so happy. He proposed to me, and I had to tell you! So I called your house. When the babysitter picked up, she nearly screamed your name into the phone. My poor eardrums. Imagine my surprise when I found out you hadn't gone home.

"I ended up saying goodnight to Lyserg, scheduled a new date, and rushed over to your house. Oh, by the way, Lyserg is really anxious to know you're okay, too. In any case, I just took Hana back to my place for the night and gave the babysitter the number to my home phone.

"She called me this morning, telling me you were at Funbari hospital due to a car crash. A doctor called her about it, relaying your message. I left Hana with Lyserg – I hope you don't mind, he's good with kids really-"

"I'm sorry. I ruined your night with Lyserg. Congratulations, though. I'm so happy for the two of you."

"No no dear, we've already there's always time to plan the wedding. There's no replacement for a best friend."

Anna smiled a genuine smile. There was no replacement a best friend.

Indeed, there was no one in the world who could take Jeanne's place, for without the red-eyed girl's support through these past few terrible days, a hopeless, broken Anna would have climbed into the Ferrari and drove at a hundred miles per hour into a tree. She wouldn't have cared, or thought of a way around it. There would be no solution. She would simply be drowning in heartache at the loss of her husband.

Instead, now she was fishing for men in the sea. Or something like that.

---------

**to be continued**

---------

**A/N**: In the next chapter, Anna is released from the hospital. Still achy, sore, and not in the best of moods, Anna calls up HoroHoro. But is money all they talk about? Or do they have more in common than they know – especially concerning Anna's romance situation? And what's this, Ren wants to see her? Sometimes a girl just needs to escape, and what better way than to visit the local top-notch bookstore. She never wanted to nor expected to meet...


	5. Rollercoaster

**Author's Note**: Here's the results of the poll for the pairing:

YohXAnna - 6

HaoXAnna – 3

Polls are open until Chapter 7, since I understand if you don't want to vote until Hao actually shows up in this fic :)

There _is_ a little bit of HoroXAnna in this chapter, but I don't intend for them to be a coupling in this fic. It's simply needed for plot purposes.

Addressing a few questions/comment-thingers:

plumwarrior37 – Yeah, I made them pretty young, didn't I? I suppose it was me watching too many Primetime dramas where the women get pregnant during high school.

Keitorin Asthore – I'm having the divorce trial later on in the story, so don't worry all of your questions will be answered soon.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters, etc. Hiroyuki Takei does. The storyline is based on a novel, _Fourplay_ by Jane Moore (though, it's drifted away from the book's actual plot right about now).

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**CHAPTER V**

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"Ooof.. ow."

"Sorry, sorry, forgot you were still sore."

It had been a day since the accident; two minutes (give or take ten or twelve minutes due to heavy traffic) since she was released from the hospital and three seconds before she arrived in a taxi at the door of Jeanne's house. She rang the doorbell. And then came the bear hug.

It had been decided that Anna and Hana would be staying with Jeanne from then on. Lyserg moved in as well, and was having an interesting time being Hana's "big brother" of sorts.

While Anna and Jeanne prepared lunch, the green-haired boy was put in charge of the child.

"Hana, I don't think you should eat those."

Hana put the crayon down, only to pick up the glue later.

"Hana, I don't think you should climb on that."

The brunette released his grip on the curtain, and plummeted down into the sofa with a laugh.

Jeanne grinned, carrying two trays of food to the dining room table, one in each hand. Anna followed suit.

"Lyserg, you have a way with children," Anna commented.

"Children, maybe yes. Two-foot-terrors, perhaps not so much."

"Takes after you, eh Anna?" Jeanne chortled, nudging Anna with her elbow.

That's how the afternoon went by. They ate their meal together, chatting lightheartedly about any subject that happened to turn up. Hana was feasting on anything he could get his hands on. At the moment, it was the remote control for the TV.

During Hana's nap, the three were seated comfortably on the sofa, Jeanne in the middle, watching "Jerry Springer" and pointing and cackling at a few people from time to time.

"You know Anna, you should really go on that show with Yoh."

The blonde raised her eyebrow at Lyserg.

"You're not serious are you?"

"If you were I'd _record_ that episode. But public humiliation, that's a tad bit extreme. Yoh's too sweet," Jeanne sympathized.

Before Anna could answer, her cell phone went off.

She dug into her back pocket for it, pulling out the small, ringing device.

The caller ID read, "Caller Unkown."

Anna shrugged and answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Slacker."

"Tao? How did you get my number?"

"I know everything," he replied smoothly.

"Sure you do. What am I wearing now?"

"Clothing. Now quit dilly-dallying around. I heard about your accident."

"I'm not surprised. I mean you _do_ know everything," she spat sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, a-are you okay?"

She was surprised.

"I'm fine."

"Right, good, great, because I'll expect you to be at work tomorrow. I don't mean anything funny by that either," Ren said in a rush, quickly hanging up.

'I wonder what that was about,' Anna thought to herself, waving off the quizzical looks Lyserg and Jeanne were giving her.

They turned their attention back to the TV and promptly began hooting.

She stuck her phone back into her pocket, but found it hitting resistance. Carefully setting the cell phone on the small cocktail table, she stuck her other hand in and pulled out a shred of paper.

It had a number and a name on it.

'Oh yeah, the Hobo guy.'

She made a mental note to call him later. Her car wasn't about to fix itself, you know.

--------

Jeanne could be summed up in three words: clean freak perfectionist.

So when the silver-haired girl attacked the pile of dirty dishes, Anna took that as her cue to clear the vicinity. She didn't want to get in the way, and let the silver-haired woman do her thing.

The blonde had a meeting with HoroHoro that night anyhow. She'd called him earlier, and they were planning to meet at a local café at 6:00 PM, which was conveniently located next to Funbari Bank, should they need to check out money.

Anna was already dressed and, in her opinion, presentable.

It wasn't even 5:30 yet.

She sighed, and stepped out of the house anyway, waving goodbye to Jeanne, Lyserg, and her son – who was gnawing on a rubber ducky all the while latched to Lyserg's leg.

He'd grown fond of his 'big brother'.

--------

A barely distinguishable blur of blue sprinted into the café, stopping in front of a two-person table, where one seat was already occupied.

"How late am I?"

She checked her watch.

"Three minutes."

"What? Your clock must be buggered. Two minutes, tops!"

Anna took a sip of her latte, peering over the rim of the cup at the blue-haired boy, challenging him.

Horo decided it would be best just to get his coffee. A confrontation with the blonde should be avoided at all costs, especially if she recovered the ability to slap him senseless.

"So, I got your damage report," he informed her, ripping open a sugar packet and spilling the contents into his cappuccino, "And I think 2.5 thousand yen should just about wrap it up. Your insurance will deal with the rest."

She stirred her drink clockwise with the silver teaspoon, nodding in agreement.

"And I owe you how much?"

"Well my bumper just got mangled," he began. Then mumbled unexpectedly under his breath, "And so is my love life."

Even though he spoke quietly, Anna picked it up. Her hearing was as keen as her feminine instincts.

"What was that?"

"Um, nine hundred yen. That should do it, thanks and my insurance will cover the rest-"

"No. What you said before," she interrupted his babbling.

"My bumper is mangled?"

"And so is your love life."

Horo tugged at his shirt collar a bit, not expecting her to have picked up on that last part. This situation was uncomfortable suddenly.

"Let's just say, my love life is going downhill and doesn't seem to ascending anytime soon."

"Ascending. Such a big word, never imagined it'd come from your mouth," she taunted, but found herself sharing his sorrow.

He pouted, eyebrows knitting together. He anticipated this, her harsh remarks. Never did he expect her to understand how he was feeling.

"I'm going through the same thing myself," Anna confessed hesitantly, gauging his reaction.

The eyebrows unknotted, and shot up his forehead.

"Well, if your love life isn't ascending, at least your eyebrows are," the blonde observed, sarcasm lacing the tone of her voice.

He snorted, "I'm just surprised someone like you would be trying to comfort me."

"I'm not exactly comforting you; I'm finding solace in the fact that someone shares my misery."

An hour and a half later, the two were still seated in the café, firing rounds of twenty questions at each other. By this point, she had found out he was a professional snowboarder who wanted to retire and start up gardening. His favorite color was blue – which explained his hair. He never managed to convince her it was natural.

In the past ninety minutes, through a great deal of coaxing and ten French pastries later, she had spilled nearly every detail of her failed marriage, from the divorce papers to the court trial that would finalize it in one week.

It felt like an unbearable burden was lifted from her shoulders, and her heart. Somehow, talking with a near-complete stranger about her pain took it away. As for him, she wasn't sure _what_ was going on with his romantic world, but she assumed he was dumped one too many times.

That's what they were, two people filled with sorrow, who found comfort in each other. Nothing more – she hoped – and nothing less, thankfully. And all because of a car crash, showing good things do come out of tragedy.

And then the night was over, both going their separate ways.

Anna never planned on calling him once again, but some things don't go according to plan. Life is like that, a rollercoaster of loops and turns, and you're strapped in for the ride.

--------

**to be continued**

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**A/N**: This was a lot different than my first draft. Slower, thus this story is going to be longer and more drawn-out than I first anticipated. I'm going to try and update _this particular story_ at least once every two weeks or so from here on out. _Less frequent_, 'cause I'm starting school soon (tomorrow, September 2nd). Best way to be informed of when I update is to add me to your Author Alerts, but you can also e-mail me if I start slacking.

I'm sorry I didn't get to the bookstore part. That'll have to wait until next chapter. And Hao's making his appearance in the next chapter, too.


	6. You

**Author's Note**: A note on the poll, this is the last chapter to vote. So for those who haven't voted on the pairing, the polls are still open until the next update, which is when Chapter 7 will be uploaded and the pairing decided. Sorry to everyone who wanted RenXAnna or HoroXAnna, it'd be hard to get them to work out for the plot I'm planning. Gomen.

YohXAnna - 7

HaoXAnna – 6

And yes, Hao _is_ coming in this chapter! And Yoh has a part in this chapter, too! Whoo, I'm on a roll.

_Please R&R, thanks._

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Shaman King or any of the characters, etc. Hiroyuki Takei does. The storyline is based on a novel, _Fourplay_ by Jane Moore (though, it's drifted away from the book's actual plot right about now).

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**Chapter VI**

-------

A tidy desk for a tidy person, and a _very_ tidy person she was – though, maybe not as much as Jeanne. Pleased with her wonderful organization skills, Anna sat back and admired her handiwork. What had been mounds of papers, forgotten messages, and unanswered calls was now as spotless as an Amish kitchen – which were hopefully quite clean; for this comparison to work anyway.

Unfortunately, Anna now had nothing to do. Is this what secretaries usually did? Sit around and wait for any meaningless task to roll their way? No wonder the slept with their bosses – to pass the time.

The blonde glanced at her wristwatch. The small hand pointed to the ten, and its longer counterpart rested just between the two and the three.

10:12 AM, Monday morning. Hana was dropped off at the nursery, and she was back at work for Ren. But he was attending some important business meeting or blah... leaving her with nothing to do but watch the screensaver of her computer go on, shake the mouse to return to the desktop, and repeat this process twenty minutes later.

Yes. She was truly productive.

But what troubled her most were her thoughts. These thoughts only invaded her mind when she was bored senseless. Like... now.

'Call him?'

The idea plagued her conscience. She wanted to talk to _someone_. _Anyone_. And it wouldn't mean anything, right? Just calling someone because you're bored and want to have a little chit-chat. Small talk. Right?

Right. And this was Anna's reasoning as she grabbed the phone sitting innocently on the corner of her desk and punched in the numbers.

Her call went through after about two _long_ rings.

"Hello?" The voice was rather unfamiliar. But in any case...

"Hi, HoroHoro?" Anna inquired, wondering who exactly picked up the phone. She supposed the person was an assistant of some sort to Horo, and she had dialed his work number.

Yes, that had to be the case.

"Oh, I'm sorry he's out. Lunch break. Is this his wife?"

W-i-f-e. Four-letter word for L-I-A-R.

'Downhill love life my ass,' Anna thought, absently mumbling, "Nevermind. Sorry to bother."

And she hung up the phone.

The same. They were all the same. Men, that is. And a sudden revelation struck her.

'_Just like Yoh.'_

She'd almost committed a grave sin. Horo was prepared to cheat on his wife with _her_, just like Yoh had cheated on _her_ with his secretary.

'_But we didn't do anything.'_

Anna let out a sigh of relief. It was best it ended this way, before anything even started. Two people talking over coffee and paying each other damage bills didn't mean anything. It was a kind act, something reasonable people normally did. Plus –

"ANNA!"

A loud yell interrupted her temporarily reassuring monologue. She narrowed her eyes as they stared up into the face of her "boss" standing in front of her desk.

"Good to see you too, Tao" she acknowledged half-heartedly.

"You realize I've been standing here for five minutes."

She faked an expression of shock.

"Oh no! Five minutes! Shame on _me_."

"Good to see you haven't lost your sarcasm, Asakura."

"_Kyouyama_," she found herself correcting. Her heart sank. It was the hardest thing to do, announcing to the world she was no longer an Asakura.

Ren blinked. He hadn't expected that sort of response from his blonde secretary.

"What do you want?" asked Anna, rather bluntly. She was suddenly curious. Ren only approached her during lunch, when they put on their little act – which, to Anna's contempt, Yoh still seemed oblivious of.

A light pink hue spread over Ren's cheeks as he mumbled something Anna couldn't quite hear.

"What?"

"...family reunion...need your help...pose as..."

She managed to pick out a few words. Barely. This was irritating.

"Speak up, Tao. You're wasting my time."

"Damnit woman! Do you need a hearing aid? I've got a family reunion in China and I need your help! They want me to bring back 'a nice girl' and I need you to pose as that 'nice girl'... damn bastards thinking any man who doesn't have a woman in his life is gay..."

He trailed off, as his words dawned on her.

"No," Anna blurted. It was the first thing that came to mind.

"I'll fire you."

Oh, tempting. But it wasn't like she did much in the first place... Even so. She'd be jobless and she needed money to raise Hana _and_ she needed Ren to play along in her little "get-back-at-cheating-husband" scheme.

"When is it?"

"Two weeks from now," Ren answered smoothly. Then, thinking she had given in and decided to go with him for the sake of her job, added, "Meet me at the Izumi Airport at nine. Don't be late."

He strutted off to his office and slammed the door behind him.

Anna grumbled. There had to be some way out of this.

'How can I keep my job, but stay in this country at the same time?'

Life had a way of bullying you around. But, at least she had two weeks to come up with an excuse. More enough time, right?

A door opened.

"Oh, and you can have the rest of the day off," Ren's voice boomed.

Anna nearly jumped out of her seat, whether out of surprise or relief one would never know. But she was beyond glad she wouldn't have to sit in that stiff chair for the rest of the day. She grabbed her handbag and bolted out of the building.

'Freedom!'

-------

Yoh Asakura flicked a marble around his desk. He hadn't had a peaceful nap for three days straight. And that was _quite_ unusual for him.

Why? Why was he so restless?

It had often crossed his mind to see a psychic on the matter, but they would probably tell him he was stressed out and he should just relax. Well, for Yoh Asakura, relaxing was his favorite past time. When he wasn't taking phone calls, he was lounging around listening to music. It was a great stress killer.

But, to his disbelief, it hadn't been working. Some unknown feeling pestered at him, and he didn't know the reason!

Well... maybe he did have _some_ clue on why he'd been acting this way. It had to do with a certain blonde, and an empty feeling in his chest.

Maybe seeing that psychic wasn't such a bad idea. But there was something he had to do before that. Something that would lessen the emptiness gnawing at him inside.

Yoh hit the speaker button on his office phone, and called in his secretary for the last time.

-------

Anna loved bookstores. They were quiet. Anna loved record stores. They were peaceful. Even better were the bookstores with a music side-section. So very tranquil. And tranquility was priceless for the single mother.

The blonde browsed the selection. Her slim fingers skimmed over the CDs, picking out the interesting ones, before putting it back.

What CD had she wanted to buy again?

Oh yeah.

She traveled over to the 'Classical Music' section. Eyes quickly grazed over the titles, before she finally picked one out. It didn't really matter what CD it was. She was just doing this for Jeanne anyway, who had suggested that she listen to some classics. It would calm the maelstrom of burdens threatening to tear apart her apart mentally.

'Things can't get much worse,' Anna mused, now standing in line, ready to make her purchase. The line was short. And Anna was in a surprisingly good mood.

Well, that was until that wretched woman decided to shove in front of her.

"Excuse you," Anna snapped, not being one to take things lying down.

A freckled face stared turned to face her, "Pardon?"

"There _is_ a line."

Ms. Freckles ignored her, turned back around.

"How much is this?"

"8000 yen."

"Ugh, you can't be serious."

"He is. It's called the price tag," Anna said.

The woman turned around again. And Anna couldn't stop herself – not that she wanted to anyway – when her hand flew up and slapped the woman across the face.

"That was for butting."

Now both were aggravated. But stopped shortly after the cashier cleared his throat.

Freckles 'hmphed' and walked past Anna to return the CD, preparing to leave. And in the process, bumping into her purposely.

Anna didn't notice the CD, unpaid-for, being dropped into her handbag.

But she _did_ notice the security alarms going off as she tried to leave the store. Unfortunately, so did everyone else.

A strong arm grabbed her roughly, and the blonde cried out in protest.

"I never pegged you as a thief... Anna," a familiar voice stated, half-playful, half-accusing.

The startled girl whipped around to stare at a face she knew all too well.

She mumbled softly, "Of all the people..."

"Good to see you again, too, dear sister-in-law."

"Hao, I'm _not_ in the mood." Her voice was sharp. Warning. It spoke of great annoyance and a very limited patience.

"Hmmmm, yes it would seem not. But I'm not in the mood to be robbed, even if we _are_ related." Hao seemed serious. Well, half-serious, for his ever-so-pleasant smile was still in place.

"I didn't steal anything! Are you _insane_? Your security must have malfunctioned or something! And your brain, too, for that matter if you can't clearly see I bought this CD!"

Hao's hand reached into her handbag and pulled out the object the freckled woman had dropped in there.

"And this too, eh?"

Anna looked shocked before the realization dawned on her.

"That cheap, sneaky little bitch!"

Before they caused a scene, or more of one, the brunette dragged Anna up a flight of stairs, and into his office. The girl uttered profanities every step of the way.

-------

"You _believe_ me, right?"

"Of course."

"You do not!"

Hao sighed. He'd given up reasoning with the girl sitting in front of him. Couldn't his brother have married a less stubborn girl?

Speaking of brothers...

"How's that little brother of mine?"

He hadn't seen Yoh since they'd gone their separate ways. Yoh had taken over the Asakura Association, and Hao decided leave – no one knew exactly why except himself, of course – to start a business of his own, launching a chain of bookstores. Which became a huge success, as expected from an Asakura. But he had lost contact with his family, until now.

Anna froze and began shifting nervously in her seat.

"He's probably happy now," she mumbled, feeling wet tears pricking her eyes.

Up raised a finely trimmed eyebrow. Why was she suddenly so uncomfortable? And what did she mean...?

But, being the gentleman he was, Hao decided to change the subject. Slightly. She would tell him when she was ready. Still, it hurt him to see her in such a state...

"Nervous around little ol' me?" he teased, peering out the window onto the busy street, brimming with people rushing hither and tither.

Her fiery eyes stared at his grinning face intensely.

His grin only widened. "No? Then why so agitated, hm?"

She said the only thing that came to mind.

He looked genuinely surprised now. And chuckled.

"Honestly? Well, while we're confessing, I've got a small case of acrophobia, myself."

"You don't need to pity me," Anna mumbled.

"I'm not, I am deathly afraid of heights."

"Then why is your office on the top floor?"

"You think I could help it?"

"Hmph." Yes, that was her brilliant retort. And she reprimanded herself for it.

"But you know, I'm not really afraid of falling. That would be exhilarating. I'm actually scared of the impact, when you land."

He was staring thoughtfully at the ceiling, and she found herself blinking in his direction. It was as if he had voiced her thoughts aloud.

Hao had always seemed so distant to her. She'd met him when she met Yoh. When they were five. And he would tend to avoid her. And then he'd left suddenly after they'd gotten out of junior high.

But now they sat, face-to-face, having a civil conversation. And she realized. Maybe, they weren't so different after all.

However, that didn't explain the avoiding.

"When we were kids, why did you always dodge me?"

Hao's face was now serious, as he tilted his head to look at her intently.

"Same reason I left the Asakuras."

"And that would be?"

The brunette contemplated whether or not to tell the truth. But in the end, he knew he couldn't lie to her. Because, she was the reason after all...

"Yoh and I were always very close," he began.

Anna nodded, her full attention now focused on the man in front of her.

"We shared everything, and I was never envious, because we were equal. The same. Brothers... no. _Twins_. But then, when we turned five, a limousine pulled up in front of the Asakura mansion. It was delivering something for Yoh. And Yoh alone. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life. And... I guess that was the first time I was actually jealous of him. Ever since then, I've wanted to leave as soon as possible."

The blonde's eyes widened. She was skeptical. Jealousy? Hao didn't seem the type to let something like that affect him. And curiosity got the better of her.

"What was in the limo?" she asked.

Earnest eyes gazed back into hers with firm resolve, as he answered with heartbreaking sincerity.

"You."

-------

**to be continued**

-------

**A/N**: I updated I updated! One of my longer chapters (for the long wait). Sorry if there are lots of mistakes. I'm doing this at midnight, and I'll go back and fix all the errors tomorrow. Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement, by the way! All are very much appreciated! Melovesyouallkthx.


	7. Tension

**Author's Note**: I know, I know: it took long enough. Didn't realize how horribly school and fanfics clashed – until now, of course – but now I'm back in the whole writing swing blah. I had to read back to jog my memory (almost forgot where I was going with this fic, God forbid), but hopefully I'm back on track. Please excuse any technicalities and/or grammar mistakes, I'm a fair bit rusty.

So anyway, an enormous _thank you _to my reviewers. Each and every one. Your encouragement is what motivated me to continue this story, as well as my many others. Therefore, without further delay, on with Chapter 7!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Shaman King.

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**CHAPTER VII**

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The air stung with a heavy tension. Anna could hear her own breath through the thick, awkward silence, her chest heaving slowly with each cautious exhale.

If ever there was a time Anna Kyouyama was at complete loss for words or in a state of irrepressible shock – or both – this was it. She could no sooner tear her gaze from his than form a coherent response. It seemed for a moment that time had frozen altogether. Anna was sure if she knocked over the glass of water on his desk, the liquid contained within its glass perimeter would not pour out. It was trapped, just as she felt.

"I shouldn't have told you that," Hao said finally, after what felt like an eternity, and then some. A sheepish smile graced his fair features, but his eyes never left hers.

"Can't exactly turn back time," she managed to force out, her voice void of that characteristic sting that it was known for.

Her companion seemed thoughtful for a bit, breaking away from what seemed to be a staring contest and blinking for the first time that afternoon.

"If we could…"

"We can't," she cut him off abruptly. Her eyes had found another object to focus on, in order to avoid his penetrating orbs. Somehow, she knew exactly what he was going to say, what he was about to ask. It was a question that had begun to formulate in her own mind as well, though she was not prepared to face. She didn't know the answer. She didn't want to. At least, not yet.

"Right. Well," here Hao coughed, stalling for a second or two, "…since your innocent has been proven, you're free to go."

Anna had not realized the object she had been staring at so intently was the door of his office. She imagined she must have given him the impression that her greatest wish at that moment was to be on the other side, away from him. Numbly and with great care, she rose from the seat, mistrusting her own limbs. It felt as if her legs would collapse beneath her at any moment.

Taking a deep breath as she twisted the doorknob, Anna tried to regain at least a minor level of the previous familiarity and normalcy that had previously occupied the air of the room. She tilted her head in his direction.

"I'll… see you around."

And she was gone, just like that.

Hao was slightly surprised. He had not been expecting that – well, he hadn't exactly been expecting her to come waltzing into his store and 'robbing' him either, but that's beside the point. Quite on the contrary, after her brusque cutoff of his question earlier, he half-anticipated she would distance herself from him completely.

He thanked his lucky stars – something he didn't find himself doing very often – that this was not the case, as relief washed over him temporarily. The small flame of hope he had been cradling remained alight, though just barely, for, to her, he was only still a measly brother-in-law. Better make that, ex-brother-in-law.

In many ways, Hao was like a candle, flickering through a night's storm, waiting for it to pass. Patiently awaiting the moment the sun would shower its rays upon it, and bring him reprieve at long last. This was indeed a calm. The storm had passed, but night was still upon them.

"_If we could… turn back time… would you have chosen me?" _

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'As if I don't have enough problems as it is,' Anna mumbled near-bitterly to herself, upon exiting the large compound.

She sighed, turning her gaze upon the darkening blue sky, as it began to fill with a myriad of colors. A great deal of time had passed. At least the sun was setting. This day was finally over. Feeling well overdue for a self-treat, Anna resolved to drag herself to the closest food stand and purchased a large hot fudge sundae. Not her favorite, but it lightened her mood considerably. It even gave her an air of accomplishment, she reasoned, having been forced to beat the vendor senseless until he topped the dessert with the cherry she had so wrongly been robbed of.

'That'll teach him,' Anna praised herself, savoring the smooth texture of her sundae.

Now there was just the issue of Tao's family reunion to deal with… and she had to clear up that whole mess with Horo's wife… oh, and then there was Yoh's twin brother, Hao… and Yoh himself.

Anna sighed, as her many burdens piled upon her again. And not so long ago, she was a not-so-simple-but-rather-luxurious stay-at-home mother. Oh how the winds of change were blowing.

She decided to tackle the easiest task first.

"Pirika, you need to get a job!"

Speak of the devil.

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"But I want to help you with the garden!" pleaded a distinctly-feminine voice. Anna watched as the blue-haired snowboarder she had become acquainted with dragged a younger woman, with similarly-colored tresses as himself, down the crowded street. The blonde imagined they were making a beeline for the "Help Wanted" sign flashing conveniently a block or two down.

'They must be related,' she thought to herself.

"There won't be a garden if we're POOR!" he retorted vehemently.

"We're not poor!"

"We WILL BE!"

Anna decided it was fair time she cut in. And she did so.

HoroHoro could not have seen it coming. But he certainly felt it, a searing pain spreading through his right cheek as Anna's palm made contact with his face.

"THAT HURT!" came the wail, as Horo flailed his arms blindly, hoping to return the blow to his assailant.

The young woman – Pirika, was it? – now freed from Horo's grasp, let out a small cry of "Onii-san!", confirming the blonde's suspicions of their relation, and stared at Anna in panic, preparing to bolt straight for the closest telephone booth… just in case the need should arise.

"I'd hope so," Anna said smoothly, "Now, if you'd kindly stop waving your arms around, people can stop staring. I don't favor the thought of people thinking I associate with a bafoon."

"Who's a bafoon?" Horo replied automatically, before the voice registered in his head, "Kyouyama-san?"

Anna sighed. "Do you honestly need to ask that question?"

Horo nudged his sister to go ahead – he would catch up later. She left the two among the busy street, almost reluctantly at the thought of leaving her brother in the company of a violent hit-woman, though fearing her wrath herself.

"So about your _wife,_" Anna began, "What a downhill lovelife."

"It _is_… going downhill I mean. Look, you don't understand…," Horo said, in a sort of desperation.

Anna's temper flared. She, of all people, not understand the complications of a failed marriage?

"I think I do," she responded, anger quickly being replaced by sympathy, "And that's why… apology accepted."

"What apology?" the blue-haired snowboarder retorted.

"Men and their egos."

Horo huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest, "Could say the same about you."

He seemed to let the phrase linger in the air, and instead developed a new fascination with his own two feet, before continuing.

"Tamao-chan's great…," he said at last, "It's me. I'm the one who's not good enough for her."

"Never pegged you as the insecure type," Anna mused, causing Horo to grunt in reply, "But taking out other women isn't going to help you become a better husband."

He looked at her with an exasperated expression, "Knew you wouldn't be the type to comfort me."

"No, I'm enjoying your misery."

Anna smiled despite herself. There was no anger. There was no guilt. It ended just as it began: an innocent mistake.

"So, she's your sister."

She gestured towards Pirika, who had made her way to the "Help Wanted" sign without too much difficulty.

"Yeah. Told you my blue hair was natural!"

"Indeed. And she's seeking employment, correct?"

Her tone was coated with the air of an experienced businesswoman, stony expression settling comfortably upon her face.

"Was I screaming that loud?"

Ever the blunt one, Anna replied with a simple, "Yes." As if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, are you just going to stand there insulting me all day?" Horo countered, mentally soothing his already bruised and battered self-esteem.

"She can have mine."

Horo's brow raised, "Wouldn't that make _you_ unemployed?"

Anna, having thought ahead, agreed readily, "Of course. But I have my way around these things."

She found her gaze drifting of their own accord to the building she'd just exited, its shadow looming upon the street and its pedestrians.

"So, how does she like China?"

Anna framed the expression of pure, eye-bulging horror Horo gave her in her personal Hall of Glory, as he protested furiously. The thought of his sister traveling to another country during her first job did not settle with him well. However, Anna continued to inform him of the details of the occupation offer, after assurance from that Pirika would be safe and return _completely_ unharmed. In truth, completely meant 99.9 percent, as all knowledgeable business women knew.

'_Tao… you wanted a nice girl. I got you one.' _

------ **to be continued** -------

**Author's Note**: I tried for a more vulnerable Hao in this chapter... a timid Pirika... violent-as-usual Anna of course. And Horo's just there for plot purposes! I'll elaborate on his and Tamao's marriage later of course, if you guys would like that. Hopefully the next update will come _much_ sooner, and pick this story up a great deal. I hope you're all not too disappointed in this chapter.


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